I used WD-40 and a paintbrush and 4 microfiber towels.Works amazing on 22 year old buildup of dirt and rustproofing. No joke. Car had been sitting for 10+ years.I basically spent 4 afternoons/evenings total on it. (about 20 hours total)

Note: Some parts were replaced during the restoration.- new battery- new radiator + cap- new plug wires- some new nuts and bolts- powdercoated valve cover- new engine mount- new exhaust manifold heat shield- Painted black clutch cable bracket

STEP BY STEP:

1. Go to the automotive store, buy 2 cans of WD-40 , 4 microfiber towels, paintbrush.2. Open Hood.3. remove battery, air filter box and arm, fuse box cover, wiper motor, map sensors assembly, coolant overflow tank, move away side wires and tubes on shock towers.4. Start attacking the dirtiest parts with WD-40.5. Spray and brush/agitate the grime/dirt 6. Wipe off dirt with towel.7. Once all the bay is clean, you can buff and polish the paint around the bay and dress the rubber hoses with rubber and vynil dressing.

Keep doing this until all dirt is removed. It takes a while, but well worth it. WD-40 wont remove the paint.

finn wrote:Using a solvent to clean an engine compartment is risky. The rubber is now going to deteriorate faster and bare metals are going to corrode without proper cpc.

The car is a 1991. All rubber parts inside the engine bay need replacing anyways.The car is in storage for 3 years now. I start it up every now and then though.It has new Sumitomo tires though. Car has 115,000 km.

WD-40 is a very good cleaner. I always thought the stuff was full of kerosene, but many have said it's mostly fish oil. Either way, it does clean well and is used extensively in the aircraft industry. In my own field it also works great for cleaning compressor wheels on large turbochargers.

Good point about the rubber though. One does wonder what the effects could really be. I'd the oil/solvent any worse for the rubber parts that the engine oil and grime?

I've got a friend in Idaho who swears that a farmer dude he knows power washes his farm equipment then literally sprays them all over with WD 40, and he says "everywhere", then stores them for the winter. They apparently look like your finished product all the time, showing little aging.

My friend has tried this for 2 years now on his motorcycle, spraying the entire bike, everywhere, and storing it. He says he was skeptical but found it really does work.

I know, sounds totally nuts, but FWIW.............

I've been driving 70's Datsun sedans, wagons, and roadsters almost every day since 1983!

Three B's Racing wrote:. Wait a minute is this a Honda site or Datsun site? surprised no one has B'Slapped you yet

Robb has been around for some time, popping in and out occasionally. Keeps saying he wants to get a 510, then keeps posting photos of these pull toys

But you have to cut the guy some slack, if he's truly from TO. You see, take off to the great white North and we have another infamous saying - being that Toronto is the center of the universe. The Qubecquois would francly disagree (pun intended ) and as any person who viewed the map might say Winterpeg should be roughly in the center - Atlantic to Pacific. But the big TO has many of its own delusions and being the self proclaimed center of the universe is one of them. Being in that position gets people off balance.

I've lost a few friends to the area, only one so far has somehow managed to keep his Westcoast head on fairly strait. However that might have something to do with the support of his prairie born spouse. Had he gone it alone, I may have lost him as well.

Don't worry Robb, we love ya. But to be truly cured, get into a 510 - good for the soul and all. Besides, it's just right to the the wheels at the rear propelling your mode of entertaining transportation.

WD-40 is (or used to be) simply mineral oil and an aromatic hydrocarbon plus propellant gasses. The hydrocarbon is usually Xylene and it is a solvent but evaporates very quickly. Mineral oil is a petroleum distillate and will also perish rubber given enough time.

Most automotive 'rubber' parts aren't. Once cleaned you would want to wash the oil off anyway or it will collect dust.

I really like WD-40 for cleaning plug wires and dizzy caps, oil residue left on. It can make old wires look like right out of the box.

"Nissan 'shit the bed' when they made these, plain and simple." McShagger510 on flattop SUs

What surfaces or materials are OK to use WD-40 Multi-Use Product on?WD-40 Multi-Use Product can be used on just about everything. It is safe to use on metal, rubber, wood and plastic. It can also be applied to painted metal surfaces without harming the paint. Polycarbonate and clear polystyrene plastic are among the few surfaces on which to avoid using a petroleum-based product like WD-40 Multi-Use Product.